Fantasy Baseball Radio Recap - Episode 4: Second Base

Chase Utley, Chase Utley, Chase Utley. There's no way to stress how much of a grasp Utley has on being the best second baseman in the league simply for the fact that he produces year in and year out. He's being taken in the first round, and rightly so. He's definitely a low risk, high reward contributor who does come with a high sticker price. The good news is, if you don't get Utley, don't worry too much....it's not all ugly...just a little raw.

Robinson Cano will be a solid contributor next year, and most fantasy rankings have him as being the fourth or fifth best candidate at second, so look for getting a good deal on a good player there. B.J. Upton is a young guy with a lot of upside but there's a higher level of risk with him than some of the other upper-tier candidates. If you get him at a good price, feel pretty confident that he'll put up good numbers throughout the season.

You might not want to be one of the people paying a premium for Brandon Phillips who posted a strong 30-30 campaign in 2007. I have a feeling he won't match those numbers in the upcoming year, but I seem to be in the minority in that argument.

Look to get a good deal on Ian Kinsler, who should continue to improve and may be one of the league's better second baseman in 2008. The best bargain, however, might be Rickie Weeks, who had a really disappointing year in 2007 but turned it up in September and I feel he will put up a terrific 2008 campaign.

The good part about second base is that there are a lot of solid, solid players around the league at a very reasonable price. If you don't get one of the elite guys, just take it easy and snag someone like Mark Ellis, Orlando Hudson, Brendan Harris, or Jose Vidro.

I'll finish off with two guys I recommend listeners to stay away from. Dan Uggla might be overpriced due to his big power year. 30-plus home runs are tough to come by from the second base slot, but it's not a necessity and you might not want him pulling down your batting average.

Jeff Kent, the other big no-no, is 39 years old and looks like he's just about ready to leave baseball to open up his own motorcycle store. He put up solid numbers last year but his reliability will definitely be something to follow in 2008 - just make sure it is one of your opponents following his health and not you!